B&ES The UK government has been very clear that it will try to avoid any additional costs for businesses associated with reducing carbon emissions and there is a moratorium on regulation that affects micro-businesses and start-ups until April 2014. The coalition has also made it clear that it will not enact any new legislation unless an existing regulation, which costs industry at least as much, is removed first.
Undermines
However, the Government must tackle the issue of the lack of enforcement this year. Part L is a prime example, the changes to which were introduced to facilitate the development of zero-carbon, but the effectiveness of which is being negated by an almost total lack of enforcement. In similar vein, Part L2B of the Building Regulations requires commercial building owners to carry out ‘consequential improvements’ of the energy efficiency of their properties whenever building work is carried out. But here, too, an almost complete lack of policing by Local Authority Building Control is resulting in a negligible level of compliance.
The recast EPBD has strengthened rules covering air conditioning inspections, but again enforcement will be key. Now owners or operators of buildings are required to have any air conditioning systems with a rated maximum output greater than 12kW inspected. This regime is (in theory) policed by Trading Standards on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government, but it is clear that little or no enforcement is in fact taking place, and DCLG is not even able to confirm how many inspections have been undertaken to date.
Similarly, an energy performance certificate (EPC) is required on the sale or letting of a commercial property. This rarely (if ever) happens – conveyancing solicitors claim that clients never ask for them, and are not interested even when EPCs are brought to their attention. This undermines the whole purpose of legislation enacted to tackle the energy performance of buildings.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that take-up of an accreditation scheme for air conditioning assessors set up by B&ES subsidiary BESCA (www.besca.org.uk) in 2009 has been underwhelming in the extreme. However, it is a legal requirement of which all building clients should be aware and the introduction of mandatory lodgement of the certificates with a central database at least means that the authorities now have a method for tracing what inspections have taken place. This is not just a bureaucratic exercise, but a genuine attempt to improve the energy performance of air conditioning systems across the country for the benefit of our collective carbon footprint and the running costs of individual building operators. Legislation is not popular and we certainly don’t want to see any more enacted to cover our industry, but what is in place has been put there for a purpose and was considered long and hard by government officials, the building engineering industry and clients. So, as we have it, let’s use it and make sure it plays its part in delivering our mutual energy saving goals.
Office Construction New office projects rose by 44% in 2012 9.2m sq ft under construction (Sources: BSRIA and B&ES)
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